Gadsden County, Florida paleontological sites

Gadsden County, Florida displaying Miocene shoreline according to the Florida Geologic Survey.

Florida during the Miocene

The Gadsden County paleontological sites are assemblages of Early Miocene invertebrates and vertebrates occurring in Gadsden County, Florida, United States.

Age

Era: Neogene
Period: Early Miocene
Faunal stage: Hemingfordian ~20.6—16.3 Mya, calculates to a period of approximately 4.3 million years
Geologic formation: Torreya Formation

Sites

Gadsden County paleontological sites are represented by the following:
La Camelia Site. Time period: 17.7 Mya. (AEO)
Midway Site. Time period: ~18.9—18.8 Mya.
Milwhite Gunn Farm Site. Time period: ~17.0 Mya. (AEO)
Quincy Site. Time period: ~17.0 Mya. (AEO)
Coordinates: 30°30′N 84°30′W / 30.5°N 84.5°W / 30.5; -84.5

Genus and species identified

La Camelia site = LCS. Midway site. = MIS. Milwhite Gunn Farfm Site. Marks River site = MGFD. Quincy site = QUI.

Reptiles and amphibians

• Batrachosauroides B. dissimulans (amphibian) MGFD
• Colubrinae (snake) MGFD
• Natricinae (snake) MGFD
• Scincidae (skink) MGFD
• Cnemidophorus (racerunner lizard).MGFD.
• Heloderma (Gila monster type poisonous lizard) LCS
• Leiocephalus (lizard) MGFD

Mammals

Carnivores

• Amphicyon pontoni (bear-dog) MIS
• Borophaginae (proto-dog) MIS
• Procyon (raccoon) MIS

Herbivores

• Acritohippus isonesus (horse) LCS
• Anchitherium clarencei MIS
• Aphelops (rhinoceros) LCS, MIS, MGFD
• Archaeohippus blackbergi
• Blastomeryx (musk deer) MIS
• Bouromeryx americanus (deer-like) LCS
• Harrymys magnus (kangaroo rat) MIS
• Lantanotherium (gymnure) MGFD
• Copemys (hamster-like rodents) MGFD
• Metaxytherium crataegense (sea cow) LCS, MGFD
• Merychippus gunteri (horse) LCS, MGFD, QUI
• Merychippus primus (horse) LCS, MGFD
• Mylagaulus (horned rodent) MIS, MGFD
• Nanosiren (sea cow) MIS
• Merycoidodontidae (oreodont) MIS
• Perognathus minutus (mouse) MGFD
• Proheteromys floridanus (kangaroo rat) MIS, MGFD
• Prosynthetoceras texanus (deer-like) MIS
• Prosthennops xiphodonticus (deer-like). LCS
• Rakomeryx (deer-like) LCS

References

• Bryant, J. D., Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 11(4). 1991
• Simpson, G. G., 1932. Bulletin of the Florida State Geological Survey 10.
• New Early Barstovian (Middle Miocene) Vertebrates from the Upper Torreya Formation, Eastern Florida Panhandle, J. Daniel Bryant, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Dec. 31, 1991), pp. 472–489.
• Paleobiology Database : Gunn Farm Collection, John Alroy.
• Paleobiology Datatabase: Midway Collection, Alroy.
• Olson, Stanley J., Florida Geological Survey,Fossil Mammals of Florida, 1959 .